EK HEALTH

by Richard Thompson, MD
EK Health Services' Chief Medical Officer

We have just passed the holidays and I would like to deviate from the usual medical-legal-administrative nature of my articles.

On December 11, 2010, my colleague, Dr. JoAnn Marsh, was awarded EK Health’s first-ever “Award of Merit.” This award was presented to her in recognition of her unique dedication, integrity, inspiration, and good humor – just a few of her many qualities that surpass job description requirements. Her Award of Merit, while being the first, will be given on a periodic basis to deserving individuals at EK Health as recognized by their peers. It is the most prestigious award at EK Health Services, Inc.

Many of you work with Dr. Marsh and I am certain you recognize her ability to quickly comprehend an issue, contribute to the solution, and resolve it efficiently. She has never worried about the many hours she spends working, for she is always concerned about doing “the right thing” and obtaining positive results. She does not shy away from espousing risky, unpopular views that are heard and carefully considered by others. Her work at EK Health has truly been a labor of love.

Dr. Marsh joined EK Health in 2005 as Medical Projects Manager to oversee our State Fund and Utilization Review subcontracted physicians.  In July 2008, she assumed a new role and additional responsibilities at EK Health as Director of Managed Care. She supervised our entire Utilization Review, Case Management and Quality Assurance departments. Her background includes business management, doctor of chiropractic, and utilization review.

In 2011, she will become our Executive Account Manager. She thinks she will be assigned less generalized work and be able to focus on more specialized work, but in reality, nothing gets done at EK Health that does not pass through her office and gets stamped with her mark. We all value her input!

At EK Health we feel pride and joy in what we have accomplished and who we are. We care deeply about our employees, about our clients, and about injured workers. We are always seeking ways to improve quality, to develop innovative ways to better serve our clients, to become more affordable, to enhance communication, and to attend to our individual wellbeing and that of our colleagues.

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday break and shared your love and good times with family and friends. May we all fare well in 2011.

Happy New Year!